A device for measuring the internal temperature of a reforming tube including a first structure having an axial part of tubular shape positioned in the lengthwise direction of a reforming tube and a radial part projecting radially towards the central axis of the reforming tube, a second structure of oblong shape having at least one thermocouple made of welded Nicrosil/Nisil conductors arranged longitudinally against the axial part and radially against the radial part, and an outer sheath enveloping the first structure and the second structure.

A reactor includes: a main reactor core including main reaction flow channels through which the raw material fluid flows, and main temperature control flow channels through which the heat medium flows along a flow direction of the raw material fluid flowing in the main reaction flow channel; and a pre-reactor core including pre-reaction flow channels of which an outlet side connects with an inlet side of the main reaction flow channels and through which the raw material fluid flows, and pre-temperature control flow channels of which an inlet side connects with an outlet side of the main reaction flow channels and through which the product serving as the heat medium flows along a flow direction of the raw material fluid flowing in the pre-reaction flow channel.

A reformer suitable for micro-scale design has horizontal catalyst tube(s) passing through a baffled radiant section for convective and radiant heat transfer to the tube(s). To reduce the footprint and/or to facilitate field assembly a combustion chamber and convection section can be oriented transversely with respect to the radiant section; the tube(s) can be horizontal and/or include structured catalyst; and/or the combustion chamber provides flameless combustion or produces a flame without impinging on the tubes. Also, a skid frame-mountable version of the reformer; and a process for transporting, assembling, and/or operating the steam methane reformer.

Systems and methods are provided for using oxycombustion to provide heat within a reverse flow reactor environment. The oxygen for the oxycombustion can be provided by oxygen stored in an oxygen storage component in the reactor. By using an oxygen storage component to provide the oxygen for combustion during the regeneration step, heat can be added to a reverse flow reactor while reducing or minimizing addition of diluents and while avoiding the need for an air separation unit. As a result, a regeneration flue gas can be formed that is substantially composed of CO.sub.2 and/or H.sub.2O without requiring the additional cost of creating a substantially pure oxygen-containing gas flow.

A hydrogen production apparatus includes: a first furnace configured to heat a mixed gas of a raw material gas, which contains at least methane, and hydrogen to 1,000 C. or more and 2,000 C. or less; and a second furnace configured to accommodate a catalyst for accelerating a reaction of a first gas generated in the first furnace to a nanocarbon material, and to maintain the first gas at 500 C. or more and 1,200 C. or less.

Systems and methods are provided for hydrogenation of CO.sub.2 in a reverse flow reactor environment via a reverse water gas shift reaction. A reverse flow reactor environment is suitable for performing endothermic reactions at high temperatures, where a reactant flow is passed into the reactor in a first portion of the cycle in a first flow direction while a combustion or heating flow is passed into the reactor during a second portion of the reaction cycle from the opposite direction. This can allow for efficient heating of surfaces within the reactor to provide heat for the endothermic reverse water gas shift reaction while reducing or minimizing incorporation of combustion products into the desired reaction products.

A fuel cell system is disclosed. The fuel cell system comprises: a fuel cell module including a plurality of unit cells for generating electrical energy by using oxygen of air and hydrogen of a reformed fuel gas; a first module including a burner part which burns an unreacted fuel gas and air discharged from the fuel cell module, an air-heating part which heats air through heat exchange with a hot combustion gas and a flame generated by the burner part and supplies the heated air to the fuel cell module, and a water vapor generation part which converts water, flowing through an inner portion thereof, into water vapor through heat exchange with a hot combustion gas generated by the burner part; and a second module which mixes a fuel supplied from an external fuel supply source and water vapor supplied from an water-vapor generator part, allows a water vapor reformation reaction to occur, and supplies a reformed fuel gas to the fuel cell module.

A plant that consumes a reformed gas obtained by reforming a source gas including at least methane and carbon dioxide includes: a reforming device that includes a reforming catalyst for reforming the source gas and an electric power supply member for supplying electric power to the reforming catalyst and that supplies electric power to the reforming catalyst to reform the source gas; and a reformed gas consuming apparatus that consumes the reformed gas A reaction temperature of a reforming reaction of the source gas in the reforming device can be adjusted by adjusting a supply amount of a heating medium including exhaust heat generated due to consumption of the reformed gas in the reformed gas consuming apparatus to the reforming device when heat exchange between the source gas and the heat medium is performed in the reforming gas.

An apparatus for improving thermal efficiency of steam production is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include: a BFW heat exchanger in fluid communication with a hydrocarbon gas source and a boiler feed water source, wherein the BFW heat exchanger is configured to allow for the natural gas stream to exchange heat with the first BFW stream such that the hydrocarbon gas stream is pre-heated within the BFW heat exchanger and the BFW stream is cooled; a syngas production facility in fluid communication with the BFW heat exchanger, wherein the syngas production facility comprises a steam methane reformer (SMR) that is configured to convert natural gas within the hydrocarbon gas stream into a hot product stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, wherein the SMR comprises a plurality of burners; and a third heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the syngas production facility, wherein the third heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the hot product stream and the first BFW stream, thereby creating a hot BFW stream and a cooled product stream.

A method for improving thermal efficiency of steam production in a steam reforming based syngas plant is provided. In one embodiment, the method can include the steps of: preheating a hydrocarbon feed stream in a first heat exchanger from a first temperature to a second temperature; preheating the hydrocarbon feed stream in a second heat exchanger to a third temperature, wherein the third temperature is greater than the second temperature; introducing the hydrocarbon feed stream in the presence of steam to a steam methane reformer under conditions effective for producing a product stream comprising hydrogen, carbon oxides, and water vapor; and exchanging heat between the product stream and a boiler feed water stream in a third heat exchanger, wherein prior to exchanging heat with the product stream, the boiler feed water stream is used to provide the preheating to the hydrocarbon feed stream in the first heat exchanger.